This invention relates to a mounting unit for outriggers used for sport fishing. More specifically, the invention is a control system for moving an outrigger pole between positions fore and aft as well as in and out. The movement of the pole being selectively parallel or perpendicular to the deck of the boat and through angles between horizontal and vertical positions with respect to the keel of the boat.
Outriggers on sport fishing boats are primarily used to hold a fishing line in a position where the line may release once the fish takes the bait. The outrigger system functions to trail the fishing line from a position off to one side of the boat and well above the water line which allows a number of separate lines to be trolling astern of the boat. The outrigger is positioned above the water so that the bait in the water is not affected by the wake. Keeping the line away from the boat typically requires the use of a somewhat and cumbersome pole, usually called a trolling or outrigger pole, which is securely connected or mounted to the boat in a selected position and the movement of this pole to other positions can be manually controlled.
Various kinds of fishing outriggers for sport boats have been used in the past in order to minimize the amount of work the crew must perform to accommodate the fishermen, who are depending on the skill of the crew to physically position the outrigger pole for creating the most favorable conditions for taking game.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,171, for example, the fishing outrigger device comprises a plate mounted on the side of the boat. A bracket of the plate includes a turntable which rotates. A pin passes through holes formed in the turntable and in the plate. The pin secures the turntable to the plate in a plurality of manually rotatable positions. In this way, the outrigger pole mounted by inserting into the device can be raised and lowered, in a plane perpendicular or parallel to the side of the boat to permit passage under a bridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,707, shows a pipe in which a trolling pole is inserted. An arc-shaped arm is movably engaged with the pipe. The device allows movement of the pole along the length of the arm so that when in contact with each other, the pole holder can be swung as a unit about a vertical axis.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,542, making an outrigger device a part of the flying bridge accounts for movement of an outrigger pole about multiple axes through the use of a series of pivotally connected brackets. The brackets allow a tubular member to hold the outrigger pole and to be pivoted both upwardly and sidewardly when another hollowed tubular member is either moved to a folded position or opened to a functional position.
A worm gear drive, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,754, accounts for an ability of an operator to rotate a portion of a pole outwardly of a boat and move the pole along a line of an upwardly and outwardly inclined arc.
A mount shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,791, includes a tubular socket for reception of a butt end of an outrigger pole. By pivotally mounting the socket on a bracket and using indexing and detent means operated by a spring-loaded handle, the outrigger pole may be selectively rotated to and locked in a raised or "stowed" position, extended for "fishing" positions, and a lowered position for passing under bridging or the like.
An outrigger system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,050 is principally concerned with relief of loads which the outrigger system on a sports fishing boat is traditionally expected to handle. This patent concerns itself with new forms of cable thrust outrigger masts which allow overloading to occur with only minimal damage to an outrigger mast and convenient replacement of any damaged member of the spreader assembly.
The outrigger devices exemplified in the patents referred to hereinabove illustrate the many improvements made over the years in simplifying and improving this aspect of sport fishing. There still exists, however, in this industry, a need for an outrigger control system which controls in a manner that particularly improves the safety, efficiency and economy of the outrigger pole, and to simplify installation, operation and maneuverability.